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Wanindu, Dimuth heroics take Sri Lanka to super six in World Cup qualifiers

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Sri Lanka booked their slot in the Super Six stage of the Cricket World Cup qualifying tournament after a dominant 133-run win over Ireland in their third game on Sunday.

The win sealed Sri Lanka’s spot in the super six stage. Scotland and Oman also advanced to the super six stage after finishing second and third respectively in Group B.

Earlier put into bat first Sri Lanka were in some sort of trouble when they were at 48-2 at the end of the powerplay.

Sri Lanka desperately needing a big partnership saw Dimuth Karunaratne and Sadeera Samarawickrama deliver when the duo mounted a rescue with a solid third-wicket partnership worth 168 to tilt the game back in Sri Lanka’s favour.

Opener Dimuth Karunaratne made a run-a-ball 103 and Sadeera Samarawickrama hit 82 as Sri Lanka compiled an imposing total of 325 all out off 49.5 overs.

Charith Asalanka (38) and Dhananjaya de Silva (42 not out) also chipped in as Ireland sought to limit the damage in the closing overs.

Dimuth notched up his maiden century after 12 years since he debuted.

In reply, Ireland could only manage 192 as Wanindu Hasaranga scalped another five-wicket haul. Besides that, Maheesh Theekshana also took 2/29. This was his third consecutive five-wicket haul in ODIs. With this, Hasaranga equals the world record for most consecutive five-fors in ODIs with Pakistan’s Waqar Younis.

In the post-match presentation, Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka lauded the boy’s effort especially Dimuth Karunaratne who went on to say opening batter Dimuth Karunaratne is the perfect player to lead their batting order.

“Everything is going in the right direction. We could have performed better with the bat towards the end. Perhaps the aggressive batting from myself and Wanindu didn’t yield the desired results in the latter part of the game,” said Shanaka.

He went on to say that Karunaratne is the perfect player to lead the team from the top of the batting order. Karunaratne scored 103 runs off as many balls, hitting eight boundaries in his innings against Ireland.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s batter Dimuth Karunaratne who brought up his maiden ODI century was awarded ‘Player of the Match’ for his knock of 103, which contributed to a comprehensive win for Sri Lanka by 133 runs.
In the post-match conference, Karunaratne said he wants to make it big when he gets the start.

“Not at all (On whether the chance for ODI hundred had passed him), wanted to continue for the team. That’s what I do. If I get a start, I want to go for the big one. (On the pitch) In the morning, there is something for the bowlers, but when the swing stops we can get some boundaries. I was waiting for that, the first hour was about giving the bowlers respect. I try to apply the same technique, that is what has helped me score heavily in Test cricket. Don’t try to hit them hard, just time them well,” Karunaratne said.

Sri Lanka are all set to face Scotland in their next World Cup Qualifier match on June 27 at Bulawayo.

Sri Lanka: 325 all out in 49.5 overs (Dimuth Karunaratne 103, Sadeera Samarawickrama 82; Mark Adair 4/46, Barry McCarthy 3/56) vs Ireland: 192 all out in 31 overs (Curtis Campher 39, Harry Tector 33; Wanindu Hasaranga 5/79; Maheesh Theekshana 2-29)

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Sri Lanka U-19 Players Face Charges Over Alleged Hotel Recording Incident

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Two players from Sri Lanka’s Under-19 cricket squad have been taken into custody allegations that they covertly recorded individuals inside a hotel in the Narahenpita area, according to police.

The arrests came after multiple complaints were lodged by female medical professionals attending a conference at the hotel. The complainants reported that they had been secretly filmed while bathing in their rooms, allegedly using mobile phones.

Authorities revealed that preliminary investigations suggest the suspects may also have captured footage involving male guests at the same premises. Police are continuing inquiries to determine whether any of the recordings were distributed through online platforms.
The suspects were presented before the Aluthkade Magistrate’s Court and subsequently released on personal bail set at Rs. 500,000 each. Further investigations are ongoing.

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SunRisers Hyderabad Sri Lankan Trio Returns Home from IPL

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Three Sri Lankan players representing Sunrisers Hyderabad — Kamindu Mendis, Dilshan Madushanka and Eshan Malinga — have left the Indian Premier League as the tournament approaches its final stages.

The trio returned to Sri Lanka on Thursday morning to complete visa formalities ahead of the national team’s upcoming tour of the West Indies in June, which will feature matches across all formats. According to reports, their brief return is solely to complete biometric requirements for the visa process.

Despite their absence, the players are expected to rejoin the squad in India shortly after completing the necessary procedures. With sufficient time before their next fixture, all three are likely to be available for selection.

Sunrisers Hyderabad are scheduled to play their next match on May 3 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium against Kolkata Knight Riders.

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Sri Lanka Women too strong for Bangladesh in second T20I

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Sri Lanka Women produced a polished all-round performance to defeat Bangladesh Women by 21 runs in the second T20I, sealing the series with a game to spare.

After being put into bat, the visitors posted a competitive 154 for 4 in their 20 overs, built on key contributions from skipper Chamari Athapaththu and Harshitha Samarawickrama. The innings began cautiously, with Hasini Perera falling early, but Athapaththu steadied the innings with a fluent 42 off 37 balls, striking six boundaries.

The momentum shifted significantly during the latter half as Samarawickrama played an aggressive knock of 49 off just 29 deliveries, including two sixes. She found good support from Imeesha Dulani (27) and Nilakshika Silva, who remained unbeaten on 22, ensuring Sri Lanka finished strongly at a healthy run rate of 7.70. Bangladesh’s bowlers shared the wickets, with Fariha Trisna, Sultana Khatun, Nahida Akter, and Ritu Moni picking up one apiece.

Chasing 155, Bangladesh made a steady start through Dilara Akter and Juairiya Ferdous, who added 46 for the opening wicket. However, regular breakthroughs and sharp fielding dented their progress. Ferdous scored a brisk 29, while Sharmin Akhter anchored the innings with an unbeaten 44, but lacked sufficient support from the middle order.

Sri Lanka’s discipline in the field proved decisive, effecting three crucial run-outs. Kavisha Dilhari was the standout with the ball, claiming 2 for 15 in her four overs, while Sugandika Kumari maintained excellent control, conceding just 14 runs.
Bangladesh eventually finished on 133 for 5, falling short despite a late push.

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